05/07/2026
What are Mason Bees?
Mason bees are solitary, meaning they live and work entirely on their own. Unlike honeybees, each female is responsible for laying her own eggs, gathering food, and building a nest without the help of a queen or a hive. Because they have no colony to defend, mason bees are incredibly gentle, non-aggressive, and perfectly safe to have around children and pets.
"Mason" Behavior
These bees are named for their habit of using mud to seal their nesting tubes. They act as tiny masons, using this mud to create secure, individual chambers for each of their eggs.
Nature’s Most Productive Pollinators
Mason bees use a unique method to pollinate. Instead of neatly packing pollen onto their legs, they often belly-flop onto flowers, which coats their entire bodies in loose pollen. This messy-but-effective technique makes them powerhouse pollinators—a single bee can visit up to 2,000 flowers a day and successfully pollinate approximately 95% of the blooms she touches.
Proper Care & Maintenance
While mason bees are easy to host, their health depends on essential maintenance in the fall. Without annual harvesting and cleaning, predators and parasites can quickly overwhelm and destroy the developing larvae.
To ensure a strong and healthy population, nesting blocks should be harvested, cleaned, and sterilized each year to keep the cocoons predator-free. Using handcrafted bee houses with precision-sized holes and protective backing further supports safe egg-laying and helps these vital pollinators thrive. We will post detailed instructions this fall to guide you through the cleaning and harvesting process.
